


Just Another Night at the Vigil

by Aly_H



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Cuddling, Domestic Fluff, Interrupted relaxations via Warden shenanigans, M/M, Nathaniel's thinking, cute scene, discussion of marriage, really just a short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 19:27:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15031616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aly_H/pseuds/Aly_H
Summary: Just a simple fluffy scene with Nate and Van (Tabris) spending some quiet time with one another that gets interrupted because Van has a castle full of unruly children he's nominally responsible for. I enjoyed writing it and wanted to share my tooth rot with the world.Enjoy!





	Just Another Night at the Vigil

**Author's Note:**

> There's no plot, just fluff. ^^'

“You know,” the elf stifled a yawn as he stretched casually across the bed, his head resting on the other’s lap as he leafed through the last of his reports. Truthfully Evander preferred the life of Arl to Amaranthine, Commander of the Grey to that of _the Warden_ , as in the _last_ Warden because Alistair was never ‘Warden’ and Loghain Mac Tir certainly couldn’t have been referred to as simply ‘Warden’. “I was threatened at knife-point in the market today.”

“What?” Nathaniel stiffened, his book jerking to the side to see the smirk that Van was wearing and the concern faded into suspicion. “ _Why_? What’d you do this time?”

“I wasn’t doing anything! Delilah wanted a chat,” he stifled a laugh and dodged the flick to his nose. “Saw your nephew too. Little Tom’s growing like a sprout. I’m sure he’ll be pestering his Uncle for archery lessons before the years out.”

“He’s still a little young for that, don’t you think?” Nathaniel relaxed, setting the book aside to brush his fingers through some of the coppery colored hair, getting the elf to stop wiggling like he was about to make a dash for it. “What did Delilah want?”

“Mmh,” Van hummed softly, closing his eyes, papers set aside too now so he could enjoy the sensation. “She said it’s been almost a year already and that I should really consider making an honest man out of you.”

The hand froze, gray eyes widening a little – marriage?

“Not proposing – not yet,” Van chuckled. “I’d certainly _like_ to marry someday, and for it to be to you since I’m stupidly and terribly smitten with that scowly face of yours.”

“I don’t scowl _that_ much,” he scowled down at the elf who grinned and reached up to brush his finger along the scrunch of his brows in silent reply. He huffed a short laugh in reply, “Perhaps I do. But is it too much to hope it is not my face you are smitten with?”

“Not at all,” Van grinned, shifting up to kiss him instead. “I love _you,_ Nate.” Reclining again he hummed a thought, “There’s still a lot of rebuilding for Amaranthine to do – but after? I’d really like to marry you properly. In a Chantry and everything, just to see if we can get Velanna to spontaneously catch fire by proximity.”

“That is a terrible argument to avoid an outdoor ceremony and you know it,” he chuckled, mostly teasing Van about his general ill-will towards spending anytime in green spaces when they could be avoided. He was fairly certain the elf preferred the Deep Roads to forest patrols.

“Alas it is all moot anyways,” Van sighed dramatically, as if he ever did anything differently. “The Hero of Ferelden won’t have a quiet, understated ceremony. If I don’t invite dignitaries from half a dozen countries I could incite a war. Marrying a Howe _might_ actually get me in trouble with two-thirds of the Landsmeet too.”

“Somehow I doubt that’s a problem for you.”

“It’s not, at least not until Anora shows up ready to murder me. Her majesty is only marginally less frightening to face down than an Archdemon. I should know, I’ve done both.”

“I trust the rewards are well worth the risk?” Nathaniel smiled, shifting to kiss his lover again.

Shouting in the hall made Van whine against his lips and groan as he flopped back, “Can’t the children behave themselves _one_ night?”

“Do they ever?” Nate sighed, casting a dark look towards the door.

Quick as a whip the elf stole another kiss before he slipped off the bed and headed for the door, fixing his hair with his fingers as he went.

Nate watched him disappear, then listened as the bard’s voice pitched itself over the noise that was going on.

If he had to bet it would be that their newest arrival, a Ferelden who’d spent the last year or so in the Free Marches, and one of the former-Templars that had been forced on them by Weisshaupt – the ones who Van had threatened to hand feed to an ogre after the incident which cost them Anders – had gotten into a brawl. Or Oghren had started it and Hawke, ever eager for a fight, had joined in.

Nate closed his eyes and leaned his head back, half-listening in case someone needed to go get Carver to cool off. Van’s playful rogue act rarely went over well with the youngest Warden.

Though he suspected that Van would eventually win the boy over. He had a way of getting people and places to warm up.

There’d been a time when the Vigil was silent except for the shouting of his parents as they argued. He and Delilah rarely made a lot of noise whilst their father had been home, it was strange sometimes still hearing how lively his childhood home had become under Van’s command.

But even he’d found it impossible to stay entirely dour and distant after becoming a Warden, though he kept a reputation for being a ‘prickly asshole’ it’d been strange when the accusation had gained a sort of fondness in the voices of his fellows.

More shouts made him sigh heavily and pull himself off the bed, slipping his boots on and wincing as he heard Oghren’s bellowing laughter. It was time to provide Van back up and hopefully not be dragged into any of his lover’s ridiculous ‘team-bonding activities’.

Just another night at the Vigil. _Maker, save them all._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, and hope ya'll enjoy!


End file.
